Skybus - St. Augustine questions

[KCMiller]

Hi,

Well, it's been awhile, and now Skybus is flying into St. Augustine, so I'm wondering if anyone who has taken this flight can give me any updates on how the drive down to Orlando was - and how crazy it was to get a rental car at the St. Augustine airport. I have one reserved, but I know they're pretty new at this at this airport, so first hand info would be great!

Thanks in advance!

KC

 

[KCMiller]

So, no one has flown into St. Augustine?

 

[KCMiller]

Well, in case anyone IS interested, I went to the source, and emailed the head of the St. Augustine airport, and he emailed me right back with this info:

Thank you for your question. I think you will find your airport experience in St. Augustine to be especially simple. After exiting the aircraft, a short walk of about 100 feet will put you under an outdoor canopy structure where any checked baggage can be claimed. This process usually takes less than ten minutes from aircraft door opening. Rental car counters are just around the corner from the baggage claim, inside the main terminal lobby. The numbers listed on our webpage are the local numbers for those agencies on the airport or you may reserve your vehicles using their respective “800” numbers. Once you have completed your rental car contract, a shuttle van will take the vehicle driver to their rented car (approximately 1 mile away). A short trip back to the terminal to pick up any others who may be riding with you and you’re off to see the sites. If you really, really worked at it….you might be able to spend 30 minutes here!

 

[ducklite]

That's a very small airport. I'd caution you that if your flight is delayed the car rental places do not stay open 24 hours, and you could be stranded at the airport until the next morning.

It's about a 2 hour drive from there to WDW, I-95 south to I-4 west. The drive is very easy until you get to Daytona and get on I-4, if you hit rush hour traffic in Orlando (4:00pm to 7:00 pm) plan on it taking up to two hours to get from the Altamonte Springs exit on I-4 to the WDW exit.

On the weekend it I-4 will often backup westbound around noon from the Conroy Road exit through WDW. Traffic will be moving, but slowly.

Anne

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

He said "agencies on the airport".

That must mean there are rental car companies there besides just Enterprise.

BobK/Orlando

 

[safetymom]

It is a very small airport.

 

[KCMiller]

That's a very small airport. I'd caution you that if your flight is delayed the car rental places do not stay open 24 hours, and you could be stranded at the airport until the next morning.

It's about a 2 hour drive from there to WDW, I-95 south to I-4 west. The drive is very easy until you get to Daytona and get on I-4, if you hit rush hour traffic in Orlando (4:00pm to 7:00 pm) plan on it taking up to two hours to get from the Altamonte Springs exit on I-4 to the WDW exit.

Hopefully, that won't happen. There's only one flight from Columbus to St. Augustine on Skybus per day, and it gets in at around 3pm - so that would be some honking delay . I have a car reserved at the Avis there at the airport, so I'm not concerned about getting a vehicle, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for sunny skies and a quick exit off the plane (we paid extra for Priority Boarding, to sit up front - $10 apiece, and going to be so worth it - we board BEFORE people with small children, believe it or not - the only people boarding before me are wheelchair bound individuals and others with physical issues - they don't pay extra, which is also very right).

It's the traffic that worries me, though we'll be coming down on a Monday. Anyway to get around the 1-4 mess?


KC

 

[ducklite]

Hopefully, that won't happen. There's only one flight from Columbus to St. Augustine on Skybus per day, and it gets in at around 3pm - so that would be some honking delay . I have a car reserved at the Avis there at the airport, so I'm not concerned about getting a vehicle, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for sunny skies and a quick exit off the plane (we paid extra for Priority Boarding, to sit up front - $10 apiece, and going to be so worth it - we board BEFORE people with small children, believe it or not - the only people boarding before me are wheelchair bound individuals and others with physical issues - they don't pay extra, which is also very right).

It's the traffic that worries me, though we'll be coming down on a Monday. Anyway to get around the 1-4 mess?


KC

Two options, one is to get off I-4 just south of Deltona onto the 417 and take that to WDW. You'll hit some traffic around UCF and then around the Beeline, but otherwise it will be a decent drive.

Another option might be to hop off I-4 in Altamonte Springs onto Semoran Blvd (436) and take that into Apopka where it meets 441. Follow that to the 429 which is a toll road that will take you directly to Western Way, which is the WDW exit. You'll hit some traffic on 436 and 441, but once you're on 429 there's zero traffic. Just watch your speed on Western Way, it drops to 30 mph about 3/4 miles after you leave 429 and there's almost always a cop with radar. One nice thing about this route is that you could stop in Altamonte Springs at one of many restaurants, including a Macaroni Grill, and have some dinner. There's also an Albertsons grocery store right by the Mac Grill and you could stock up on water/snacks/etc. If you arrive at 3:00 and you're out of the airport by 3:20-ish, you'd be at the Mac Grill at around 5:00, you could eat and shop through the worst of the traffic.

Anne

Anne

 

[CarolA]

Well, in case anyone IS interested, I went to the source, and emailed the head of the St. Augustine airport, and he emailed me right back with this info:

Thank you for your question. I think you will find your airport experience in St. Augustine to be especially simple. After exiting the aircraft, a short walk of about 100 feet will put you under an outdoor canopy structure where any checked baggage can be claimed. This process usually takes less than ten minutes from aircraft door opening. Rental car counters are just around the corner from the baggage claim, inside the main terminal lobby. The numbers listed on our webpage are the local numbers for those agencies on the airport or you may reserve your vehicles using their respective “800” numbers. Once you have completed your rental car contract, a shuttle van will take the vehicle driver to their rented car (approximately 1 mile away). A short trip back to the terminal to pick up any others who may be riding with you and you’re off to see the sites. If you really, really worked at it….you might be able to spend 30 minutes here!

Sounds like a lot of small airports I have been too They kind of throw the luggage off the plane at you. No 'belt' going round and round..... However, it's generally fast.

Just a warning. On the return PAY attention. I nearly got left in Valdosta GA. We went and sat in an "empty" part of the airport thinking they would announce the plane. NOPE! Just prior to it leaving someone wandered over to us and said "what you'all doing here?" We told him and he said, "that plane is boarded and about to leave" We had to race out there and they acted very put out with us for "disappearing"

I will say that in spite of the 'doomsday' postings, IMHO I have had rental car locations stay open for that plane that is two hours late even in the middle of nowhere. (And trust me I have flown there LOL!)

 

[safetymom]

That happened to me in Burlington VT. I was the only one in the terminal in the gate area. When the gate agent arrived she asked if I was the passenger. This airport looked like it had been a house at one time. They opened up the garage door and threw in the luggage when I arrived.

They had cancelled the flight and wanted me to drive to another airport. I said I had already turned in my keys. They reached for a yardstick with a cup hook on the end and fished them out. I ended up going out the next day since I would have most likely not made the drive in time and would have been responsible for the drop off fee.

 

[ducklite]

That happened to me in Burlington VT. I was the only one in the terminal in the gate area. When the gate agent arrived she asked if I was the passenger. This airport looked like it had been a house at one time. They opened up the garage door and threw in the luggage when I arrived.

They had cancelled the flight and wanted me to drive to another airport. I said I had already turned in my keys. They reached for a yardstick with a cup hook on the end and fished them out. I ended up going out the next day since I would have most likely not made the drive in time and would have been responsible for the drop off fee.

Burlington and Albany were both cornfields years ago, weren't they?!? Birmingham AL was the same way. Winnipeg is another that's very small considering teh size of the area it serves. Burlington has definitely grown, the last time I was there there were 10-ish gates, but I remember about 25 years ago when there were (IIR) three. Albany has probably grown the largest of all of them though.

And they wanted you to drive to another airport? Where? Three hours to Manchester? Three to Albany? A couple to Plattsburgh--in the summer... Or were they suggesting you cross the border to Montreal?

Anne

 

[safetymom]

This was about 6 years ago when I went to Burlington. The only good thing was on the way to the airport they were having a bbq fundraising stand on the road. I am a sucker for that kind of meal. When I ended up staying my hotel was right there.

 

[Pigsty333]

Small airport - just one flight a day for now, until October, when they will increase. There are a couple of car companies onsite.

It is actually about 1hr. 45 mins. to Disney - we do this trip every other weekend to stay up with friends in St. Augustine (she actually works at the airport and for Skybus) and it takes no more than 2 hrs. If anything, use the 417 and follow it all the way down to Exit 3 and 6 (those are the Disney exits) and just follow the signs. Just bring change for the tolls as quite a few are exact change only.